Environmental Engineering Reference
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Figure 15.12. The development of chitinase activity (1,4-beta-poly-N-
acetylglucosaminidase
EC 3.2.1.14) in restored and unmined native forest soils
(after Spain et al. 2006 ).
Figure 15.13. The development of biological fertility in restored and unmined native
forest soils: Microbial biomass C (right panel) and changing pattern of representation
of three ectomycorrhizal fungal morphotypes in the root tips of woody plants
(left panel) (after Spain et al. 2006 ).
Ectomycorrhizal fungi are a major component of the biological fertility of
(nearly) all forest systems (Smith & Read 1997 ). These fungi are important in
tree nutrition (Tibbett & Sanders 2002 ) and are thought to undergo succes-
sional processes along with a forest ecosystem (e.g., Chu-Chou & Grace 1982 ;
Frankland 1992 ). It takes quite a number of years (7 15) for these fungi to
return to the reforested systems (Gardner & Malajczuk 1988 ; Glen et al. 2008 ).
Evidence from molecular studies and mycorrhizal root tip morphotyping sug-
gests that ectomycorrhizal communities may remain different from the native
forest for decades (Spain et al. 2006 ; Glen et al. 2008 )( Fig. 15.13 ). While this has
real implication for soil fungal diversity, the functional significance of these
different communities is not clear.
 
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